Biography

Dr. Ashlea Rundlett is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the M.A. in International Relations program at the University of Rhode Island. Her research focuses on public opinion and political behavior, with particular interests in political measurement, emerging technologies, and Latin America.

Her recent research examines how citizens respond to the growing use of artificial intelligence in government and to international competition over AI and technological infrastructure. Current projects investigate public attitudes toward government regulation of AI, replacing human decision-makers with AI, and how perceptions of group control shape support for AI in government. Her broader research has examined human rights, democratic governance, political participation, and the measurement of political concepts.

Dr. Rundlett is co-author of Science and the Study of Human Rights (SUNY Press), which develops and analyzes approaches to measuring government respect for human rights around the world. Her research has also appeared in journals including the American Political Science Review, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Social Science Quarterly.

She has also contributed to public-facing and interdisciplinary work at URI, including the Rhode Island Survey Initiative, which conducted statewide public opinion research on policy issues, and the 2024 URI Honors Colloquium, which she co-organized. In 2023, she received the College of Arts and Sciences Teaching Excellence Award.

She teaches courses in political science and international relations, including research methods, Latin American politics, democratic backsliding, and the politics of nuclear weapons.